From the open publishing newswire:
We urge you to reconsider the heavy-handed, undemocratic position you have taken to hold a City Council meeting without the public present. You should allow testimony on the Amendments to the Portland Police Association contract. The Amendments were introduced after a 2.5 hour recess on September 28 when a number of groups / individuals had already testified, including ours. When Council left the chambers on October 5 to avoid listening to what probably would have amounted to 1 hour of testimony, those of us awaiting to speak spent over 2 hours waiting for you to reconvene. Meanwhile, the allegedly desperately thin ranks of the Police Bureau were largely inside City Hall arresting and intimidating those who remained inside. We were also treated to a fleet of Department of Homeland Security vehicles parked in the street and several federal officers inside the hall. These measures and others listed below are indicators that Mayor Hales is willing to use any heavy handed tactic he can to push through the inadequate PPA contract. Portland Copwatch urges you not to be on the wrong side of history. You must delay this vote and let the next Mayor negotiate what his police will do.

From the open publishing newswire:
On Saturday, September 17th, Cerimon House joins the Mental Health Association of Portland and members of the community to offer a memorial, a documentary screening, and a community conversation marking the occasion of the passing of Chasse, who died in police custody ten years ago.

WHAT: BEARING WITNESS: James Chasse - a celebration of & conversation about the life of James Chasse Jr. on the 10th anniversary of his death

From the open publishing newswire:
The Community Oversight Advisory Board, known as COAB is back in business apparently without Kathleen Saadat or Dr. Capula; they have resigned. The committee is scheduled to meet on 9 June 2016 at the Portland Building at about 5:30 PM. There will be a delegation from the city of Portland to greet the new committee. A representative group will not leave until the listed demands are dealt with and Bud Fueless is told to leave the COAB meeting.

From the open publishing newswire:
As the DOJ is looking at the Portland Police and their use of "force" and as local communities join together to bring police accountability issues to the front of the table for real change, transparency and justice the ex police chief of Portland is ratcheting up his new job promoting "police tools" at an invitation only firearms and tactical show in Portland on April Fools Day.

In the shadow of the US Department of Justice Agreement with the City of Portland to reduce unnecessary use of force, this seems an ill-advised means to attract donors who wish to support law enforcement and reduce crime. It looks more like an ad for a "Lethal Weapon" sequel.

Portland Copwatch calls upon the CCC to cancel or re-focus the event on real ways the Portland Police can help make the community safer without glamorizing the violence which we are told is only used in a fraction of all police contacts.

From the open publishing newswire:
The Portland Police "Use of Force" presentation to the [citizen] "Training Advisory Council" was filmed on January 13th at the the NE Training Facility. This meeting was open to the public.

From the open publishing newswire:
This practice is fair in theory; workers deserve protections from capricious management, and especially from cowardly politicians. But when a police officer brings dishonor to himself, to his colleagues, to the bureau and is the cause of mistrust between officers and basically everyone else in town - he needs to go.
Former Mayor Sam Adams wanted Ron Frashour fired. So did the current mayor, Charlie Hales. So did former Chief of Police Michael Reese. So did the city attorney. So did a majority of Portland city commissioners and most of Portland's citizens.

Frashour, you'll remember, was the sniper cop who pulled out his earplug, severing communication with his commanding officer, and then killed Aaron Campbell, an unarmed African-American father in the midst of a mental health crisis, by shooting him in the back. That was six years ago.

Now, however, the Oregon Court of Appeals has told Hales, who is police commissioner as well as mayor, that Sam Adams made a mistake firing Frashour. Further, the court said, Hales erred by not reinstating Frashour immediately.

These mistakes were not mistakes. They were deliberately, but not freely, chosen. Adams and Hales didn't have other acceptable legal options. The appeal was at best an expensive delaying action meant to satisfy critics. [...]

Thursday, Dec. 31, 11:30 AM, Portland City Hall, SW 4th and Madison
Please join the AMA Coalition tomorrow at this important demonstration! The
Coalition demands that Frashour be assigned to a job or shift at the Bureau
that requires the least contact with the public as possible, because of the
potential that he may do harm to community members.

From the open publishing newswire:
March on Portland, Fri., Nov. 27 1 pm to 10 pm, starting at Holladay Park by Lloyd Center and Max, NE 11th and Holladay. Let's unite to end the violence that begins against Blacks, Native Americans, Muslims, peace/animal/environmental activists, and whistle-blowers, as practice to attack almost everyone else. Doing what is right, living true to yourself with integrity to your own values is far, far, far more satisfying, gratifying, comforting, and energizing that not showing up and speaking up. It's the best medicine for shopping and holidays depression. No work, no school, no shopping, no complicity with violence/injustice. Justice for all.

From the open publishing newswire:
KBOO host Jo Ann Hardesty speaks with Jason Renaud of the Mental Health Association of Portland about the recent police killing of Michael Johnson, a mentally ill man in Portland, and why the Department of Justice intervention hasn't stopped police killings.

From the open publishing newswire:
July 29th *today the "Independent" Police Review Division will hold its third community outreach meeting to hear from the public what kind of oversight system YOU would like to see in Portland. This time it will be at the Q Center in N Portland at 5:30 PM

The June meeting wasn't as well attended as the May one, and the IPR and
CRC took way too much of the time explaining how the "Byzantine" system
works. The professional facilitator they hired ended up cutting off one
person who was trying to tell her story. I expect this time will be better
organized as a result.

Here again are some suggestions we (Portland Copwatch) put out before; lots more ideas can be
found in the Stakeholders report from 2010 and the original Mayor's Work
Group report from 2000 (which led to IPR being created)[...]

After reading the January 2015 Police Review Board (PRB) report posted sometime about July 16, Portland Copwatch finds that the range of misconduct identified is astounding. We also are left with the impression that while some of the application of discipline was appropriate, others seemed to minimize very serious matters.

After reading the January 2015 Police Review Board (PRB) report (posted sometime about July 16 at ), we find that the range of misconduct identified is astounding. We also are left with the impression that while some of the application of discipline was appropriate, others seemed to minimize very serious matters [...]